Optimist offers tackle football to participants ages 8 years old through 12 years old serving Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, Star, Mountain Home, Kuna, Emmett, Homedale, Middleton, and Marsing.
Tackle teams are formed based around the school a participant attends and area where they live. Once assigned to a team, those players stay with the same coaches and players throughout their time in the program.
Each player is required to play a minimum number of plays each half to help ensure more equitable playing time.
Every team plays seven games throughout the season. Teams also travel to other clubs and leagues for games.
The opportunity to start or continue playing football is available at the junior high and middle school level in the Treasure Valley. Schools make every effort to create multiple teams if the numbers warrant—with different divisions for different skill and ability levels—and place students in situations where they can compete and grow in the sport of football.
As students transition into the high schools, freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams offer students different degrees of competition and the ability to compete at the highest level.
Regardless of the level, the game of football is special in the Treasure Valley because it provides our kids with an opportunity to be part of a team sport, where they learn the lifelong lessons of teamwork, commitment, dedication, and thinking of others before ourselves.
When kids look back on their own experiences and reflect, they see that they have accomplished so much, and that the experience of contributing to a team is bigger than any one individual. Life’s lessons we want for all kids.